Rhizome short-creeping, 1.5-2 mm ø; scales very dark brown, to c. 1 mm long, almost acicular, to 4-seriate at base, many scales largely or entirely uniseriate. Leaves clustered; petioles black, lustrous, abaxially terete, adaxially flattened and with 2 sharp, occasionally paler lateral ridges but hardly sulcate, to c. 15 cm long, mostly about 1/3 as long as the lamina. Lamina narrowly oblong, 15-50 cm long, 3.5-6 cm wide, narrowed at both ends but more gradually at the base, widest about the middle; rachis like the petiole, abaxially keeled only near the apex. Pinnules spreading or the upper ones ascending, the basal ones deflexed, contiguous with their broadened bases, elongate-ligulate, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, dark green or brown when dry, the lower side markedly paler, often somewhat glaucous; larger pinnules 1.75-3 cm long, 3-4 mm wide (not counting the broadened base), little narrowed to the obtuse apex; acroscopic side of base with an obtuse or subacute auricle that does not touch the rachis; basiscopic side less broadened. Lowermost, reflexed pinnules mostly several mm long, scarcely auriculiform; uppermost pinnules more strongly reduced, a few confluent with the lobate-hastate, lanceolate terminal segment, or a free, scarcely lobed, lanceolate pinnule present. Margin entire, often revolute when dry, then the pinnules seemingly acute. Veins immersed, obscure, lax, very oblique, mostly once or twice forked. Sori continuous, absent from the basal auricle and sometimes, from the apex; indusium 0.2-0.3 mm wide, pale, entire, not reaching the margin by less than its width. Spores medium brown, trilete, smooth, c. 11-19 μ.
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